Ive been feeling hypo for a while, Im in first year trying to get dose right so I guess this is normal. I recently went up to 100 levo and I was splitting my dose 50/50, one in the morning/middle of night, one in the afternoon. This was using brand A (dont know it got rid of box).
For various reasons Ive now switched to taking 100 of brand B (mercury pharma) at once at 10:30pm before bed. This is using a different brand because I had some 100 pills from before. After a week of this I feel transfomed, maybe slightly hyper if anything. I want to try and understand why this is.
Could the brand effect it?
Is it possible the dose in this brand is wrong (bad batch)?
Could this be a better time of day for my body to absorb?
Note before the times I took it did vary a bit, now Im taking at exactly the same time every day more or less.
Thanks
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Johndillon
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I can't quite fathom whether you have any brand A left? If you have even one, can you tell us what it says on the tablet? That will identify it.
Many of us find switching formulations can make a difference. Ranging from complete intolerance to a very slight difference we can't put our finger on.
Taking at bed-time has often been reported to achieve very slightly better absorption.
Consistency is, in my view and that of many others, very important.
I notice that Mercury , feels a bit different to other brands, can't put my finger on exactly 'how', just sort of 'Faster' if that makes any sense. While most other brands, and in particular Teva seem a little 'slower/sluggish'. ( I wouldn't say i've noticed 'bad effects' from some brands like others mention having, but i can tell the difference)
When you say you took 50 in the afternoon, how careful were you to keep this away from food etc ? It's possible you were absorbing less of that 50 if not on empty stomach...... and so that could also be a factor in feeling like you now have a 'higher ' amount , as well as the brand change.
I have sometimes felt that Mercury Pharma has a slightly faster, slightly stronger effect within a couple of three hours. But I end up feeling under-dosed before my next dose. Accord (Actavis), for example, seems to have a slightly slower, lower peak but less of an under-dosed feeling.
It was generally always 2 hours after food and a cpl before, but there was always more room for manouvre whic is the main reason I switched to single dose at night as I can control it more.
Teva rings a bell actually, orange packet? I think thats what the 50s were.
The thing is I wasnt noticing a small difference Im talking difference between 30% of days having brain fog and energy as a 3 out of 5 to now 10 days of no clarity and 4-5/5 for energy.
My only other confusing factor here is that Im currently in between surgeries with an infection in place, and at the same time I took a strong antibiotic, so its also in my mind this has helped increase my energy. That said I normally expect a dip in energy due to antibiotics but if its sorting an infection maybe this is playing a part.
I realise there are no hard answers to this Im just trying to grab onto anything that keeps this the way it is!
I've got Teva 50's at the mo. they are in Green foil strip (white and blue box) Teva 100's are orange foil strip. My last brand of 50's was (I think) in orange strip, and it wasn't Teva or Mercury, but i can't remember which of the other ones it was now.
helvella 's comment fit with what i'm trying to describe about Mercury feeling 'faster'
(I think it's unlikely that the actual dose is significantly different , or that 'bad batch' is a common thing with Levo, )
I've ended up with Teva this time because i just wasn't in the mood for a big argument with the chemist , but after 7 days on them, i'm feeling less well than i have been for a few weeks, and twice this week i've returned to 'unable to speak /think/type/pick my arms up' mode, and ' do i really have to stand up and get out of the car ?, can't i just sit here......' which hasn't happened for a while.
Last week i was actually enjoying myself driving fast, and saying 'please can i drive home as well i'm having fun'
I Know this could be coincidence, and i haven't eaten so well while it was too hot, so it could be that catching up with me , but....
Lesson....... if you think you feel better on a brand, make a fuss and make sure you get it again.
Hi Johndillon ... coming in on the back of comments by tattybogle and helvella ... I've been taking the brand Accord for a few months now. I'm new to this, so I have no real frame of reference for the effects of different brands.
But this week I had to switch brands from 100mcg Accord to 100mcg Mercury Pharma – I was a bit nervous but had no choice.
I keep a journal of my symptoms, this week I wrote "Something's changed" on the day I took the MP meds. I've not really felt much difference with Accord, pretty lousy to be honest, but I felt a bit more relaxed and positive this week.
Symptoms change so randomly with awful condition it's hard to pin down the direct effect of any supplement, diet or change in medication but it did make me think.
Many people find Levothyroxine brands are not interchangeable.
Once you find a brand that suits you, best to make sure to only get that one at each prescription.
Watch out for brand change when dose is increased or at repeat prescription.
Many patients do NOT get on well with Teva brand of Levothyroxine. Teva contains mannitol as a filler, which seems to be possible cause of problems. Teva is the only brand that makes 75mcg tablet. So if avoiding Teva for 75mcg dose ask for 25mcg to add to 50mcg or just extra 50mcg tablets to cut in half
Physicians should: 1) alert patients that preparations may be switched at the pharmacy; 2) encourage patients to ask to remain on the same preparation at every pharmacy refill; and 3) make sure patients understand the need to have their TSH retested and the potential for dosing readjusted every time their LT4 preparation is switched (18).
Levothyroxine is an extremely fussy hormone and should always be taken on an empty stomach and then nothing apart from water for at least an hour after
No other medication or supplements at same as Levothyroxine, leave at least 2 hour gap. Some like iron, calcium, magnesium, HRT, omeprazole or vitamin D should be four hours away
If you normally take levothyroxine at bedtime/in night ...adjust timings as follows prior to blood test
If blood testing Monday morning, delay Saturday evening dose levothyroxine until Sunday morning. Delay Sunday evening dose levothyroxine until after blood test on Monday morning. Take Monday evening dose levothyroxine as per normal
Always test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose levothyroxine 24 hours before test
Stop taking any supplements that contain biotin a week before ALL BLOOD TESTS as biotin can falsely affect test results
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